Counterpoised clothes fastener



E. VARGA.

COUNTEBPOISED CLOTHES FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED HAY29, 1922.

1,485,674., Patented Nov. M, 19225;.

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

teen

ELIZABETH VARGA, 0F ELMHURST, NEW YORK.

COUNTERPOISED CLOTHES EASTENER.

Application filed May 29, 1922. Serial No. 564,414.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELIZABETH VARGA, a citizen of the Republic of Hungary (who has declared her intention of becoming a citizen of the United States of America), residing at Elmhurst, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Counterpoised Clothes Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a clothes fastener adapted to be employed in such relation to a clothes line as to preclude the clothes from becoming wrapped around the line, as well as affording means for fastening the clothes to the line, thus imparting a dual capacity to the device.

It is .well known that laundry when hung in the open air during windy weather becomes wrapped around a clothes line to such an extent as 'to occasionally tear the fabrics and to require some time and effort,

to disentangle the same from the line. I q

. My object is to provide a device adapted for use in a dual capacity; first, as a fastener for effecting the secure attachment of laundry to a clothes line, and, second, as a. counterpoise applicable to the free edge of the fabric so as to add weight thereto and to minimize the blowing of said fabric under wind pressure to such an extent as to result in t-he fabric becoming entangled with the line, wherebyinjury to the fabric is prevented andthe laundry canxbe removed with facility and ease.

My invention is embodied in a counter poised fastener comprising a plurality of prior to removal complemental members and a spring so related to the members that they are adapted for pivotal movement to open the same and are normally held by the spring in a closed relation, together with a supporting spindle positioned in a coil of said spring, and weights (one or more) supported by the spindle, usually one on each end, said weights tending to increase the ponderosity of the fastener as a whole so that when the latter is applied to the unconfined edge or marginal portion of the fabric the tendency of the latter to sway or blow is minimized. Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein- 4 Figurel is an elevation of fasteners applied to a piece of laundry, one acting to fixedly attach the fabric to aline and the other as acounterpoise to limit swaying of the fabric under wind pressure.

Figure 2 is a side view of the fastener on an enlarged scale, and

Figure 3 is a cross section taken in the plane of the weighted spindle.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises complemental parts or members, A, B,

aspring C, a spindle I), and a plurality of balancing weights B; the detailed construc- 'tion and arrangement of said parts being substantially as follows. Each part or member, A or B, is a single piece of mateportion c of the other member, substantially as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The registration of the cut out portions 6 of the two members produces a space for the accommodation or reception of the spring coil C, the latter being housed or encased within said space of the complemental members. Said spring coil is shown as being provided with arms, 0, c, which extend outwardly from the coil, one on each side of members .A, B, and the free ends of the arms are fitted in the notches f, whereby the spring applies tension to members A, B, in a manner to press the same into contact one with the other, and the coil acts to restrain said members from a relative longitudinal movement so that the members A B are held into operative relation and at the same time the members are capable of a limited pivotal movement with the spring coil as the axis of such pivotal movement.

The spindle or rod D passes loosely through the coil of the spring, as shown in Figure 3, the end portions of said spindle projecting beyond the respective sides of the members A B.

The weights E are composed of any metal, or other material, suitable for the purpose, and, as shown these weights are attached fixedly'to the ends of the spindle so as to preclude endwise movement of said spindle I within the spring.

The spindle and the weights are positioned toward that end of the fastener to which pressure is to be applied by the fingers for the purpose of spreading the members in applying the fastener to the fabric or the line.

.My 'fastener' is adapted for the double purpose of attracting the fabric F to the nc L, as shown in Figure 1, and of being" fabric and the line in the space bounded by the recesses, b. Upon exposurevof the fabric in the open air, the wind blows against the fabric for drying the same, but in windy weather the fabric is-apt to be blown one or more times around the line, the effect of which'is to wrap the fabric on the line so that it becomes entangled therewith, making it a more or less tedious operation to disen- I tangle the fabric in order to detach it from the line. Accordin ly, in windy weather one or more of the asteners are applied to 1 the fabric at or near the free unconfined edge thereof, as shown in Figure 1. It will be apparent that the fastener is opened by pressing on'the members, the free edge of the fabric'is' inserted into the space between the recessedjaws, and then pressure is removed from the fastener so that the spring acts to press the members together and grip the fastener upon the fabric. .The fastener is -sus-' the upper edge of the piece of what I 0 pended from the fabric at the free edge thereof, and in service the fastener adds such weight to the fabric preclude the wind pressure from. blowing the clothing around the line. so that it does not become entangled therewith.

My device is simple in construction, economical of manufacture and eificient in use, being capable of application to a line in the mannerofan ordinary clothes pin and in addition to this normal use the weights add such resistance to the fabric that the wind pressure will not blow the fabric over and around the line.

Havin thus fully described my invention,

fiim as new and desire'te secure by Letters Patent 'is:

l. A clothes fastener embodying complemental members under the control of a spring, and a weighted s indle co-operating with the sprin and ten ing to increase the ponderosity o the fastener as a whole, whereby the fastener when applied to a free marginal portion .ofthe fabric acts'to so weight the fabric as tominimize the latter from entanglement with a clothes line.

- 2. Aclothes fastener embodying complemental members and an actuating spring therefor, a spindle co-operating with the spring and extending beyond the opposite sides of the members, and balancing weights supported on the protruding portionsof the spindle, said spindle and weights tending to add such resistanceto the movement of a fabric as to preclude the fabric from becoming entangled with a clothes line.

In testimony whereof I have'hereto signed my name this 4th dayof May, 1922,

ELIZABETH VAR-GA.

as to effectually 

